Princess Peach: A Damsel in Distress
by MouseWind
Summary: Princess Peach is kidnapped by Bowser again, but she wonders if Mario grows weary of rescuing her. One-Shot


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Mario—Nintendo does! I make zero profits from this fan fiction.

**Author's Note**:I know that in the first Paper Mario game Peach was in her own room, but I placed her in a different room for better 'effects.'

**Rating:** T, for mild violence

Enjoy!

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**"Princess Peach: A Damsel in Distress"**

The hem of her pink dress was crumpled and soiled by the rough handling of Bowser's guards. Two armored Koopas were on either side of Peach, grabbing her wrists with an acerbic grasp as they strained to keep her under control.

They took her into a nearby room and tossed her on the severe, stony floor like garbage, rather than the sensitive and delicate princess she was.

Peach scrambled to her feet, but the door slammed shut in her face before she had time to escape.

With balled fists within her tattered gloved hands she banged against the door, demanding to be released. But she found herself wasting a lot of precious energy. She bowed her head against the door, quivering in despair.

"Mario will save me," she sobbed.

Peach had been kidnapped one too many times. And she feared that maybe, maybe one day Mario would get tired of rescuing her like the damsel in distress she reflexively believed to be.

A cold knot of guilt formed in the pit of her body. What if Mario wouldn't save her as he grew weary of dragging himself out of the comforts of his home? What if he lost interest in her?

Peach turned from the dun colored door, her azure eyes flooding with tears like shattered glass flickering beneath dim lighting.

A tiny singular window was high on the wall, quashing any chances of escape. The warm light lit aglow her mane of voluminous golden curls which enshrined her body, and a soft halo formed around her golden jewel encrusted crown.

A thin layer of dust powdered the room. The ramshackle bed looked well used to the point of deterioration, along with the rutted sheets. Asides from that, nothing was special about the room, but she did admire the dusty mirror that stood in the corner in which the light could not reach.

With a white handkerchief, Peach started to polish the surface. She rolled it into the middle of the room where the reflection of sunlight illuminated the entire room in diffused radiance.

Peach looked into the mirror and but jumped back as a Bowser barged into the room, the Star Rod in his clawed hand.

"Hello, beautiful!" he said sneeringly. "Isn't it a wonderful day?"

Peach turned from him and crossed her arms. "I wish to be left alone," she said unequivocally.

Bowser roared with laughter. "Don't be that way Peachy Tart! You're with me now!"

Peach's golden mane twirled as she whipped around glaring at him with narrowed, angry eyes.

"But Mario will come to save me!" With each word she stepped around the mirror, but stopped just five paces in front of the Koopa King. After all, he was much larger and heavier than her.

Peach still despised him. Bowser's orange scales cracked and peeled and his green shell was covered with deadly golden spikes. He breathed horrendous volleys of flames from his mouth and his large clawed hands always found a way to seize possessions that didn't belong to him.

"With this Star Rod, that pesky plumber wouldn't have the nerve to come and fight me!" Bowser said. The golden star mounted on top the rod caught Peach's eyes immediately. She thought of stealing it, but how would she bring it to Mario, or to anyone for that matter?

"Mario will save me, no matter what!" Peach declared with certain confidence.

"Gwahahaha!" Bowser couldn't find anything more hilarious then a foolish princess with foolish hopes.

Peach faltered, confidence crushed by his cruel amusement. "He will...," Peach quietly assured him, slightly piqued that he found her serious tone funny.

"Nope, not this time! You think Mario's gonna' keep getting himself bruised and burned just to save you? He'll get tired eventually!"

Pain washed over Peach, as she let those hurtful, but possibly true, words absorb into her mind. Peach bit her lip.

The daylight lit up her body so that she resembled an apprehensive angel. Her skin appeared even paler in the light and almost washed out against her stark white gloves.

Peach parted her pink, glossy lips to speak. "Just let me go."

"No can do Peachy!" Bowser said, with an annoying cheerfulness. "You're my one and only!"

Peach felt a tinge of rage build up in her chest. "You fiend! I HATE YOU!" Her voice was an octave higher than she meant, but she continued, inconsiderate of the possible consequences of her conduct.

"You kidnap me constantly, when it's obvious I have little interest in you! Can't you find someone else to—?"

She was silenced by a callous mind-jarring strike to the side of her face. The area went numb for a moment, but a painful sensation ignited throughout the lesions second later.

A stream of crimson trickled from the deep slashes, contrasting sharply against her porcelain white skin that was once flawless, but now marred by Bowser's infuriated claws.

Droplets seeped on her once pristine well-tailored pink dress. Peach's fearful gaze shifted to Bowser's demonic ones; her opaque azure eyes adverted from his as she brought a gloved hand to gently touch the fiery wound.

"Your only fault is that you don't know when to shut your trap!" Then Bowser left, slamming the door shut in an affronted huff.

Peach peered at her gloved fingertips, splashed with a blinding ruby. So much shed blood in such a brief period of time....Peach dreaded the thought of being stuck in the place for another day.

Tears rolled down her face, her right side stinging from the contact it made with the wound. She hoped that Mario would save her, and save her soon.

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**Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this one-shot.

Please review!


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